


aftermath

by riverwoodhills



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Other, Steve Deserves Better, Steve Harrington-Centric, everyone loves everyone, the party is a family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-07 05:39:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12834486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverwoodhills/pseuds/riverwoodhills
Summary: starts right after el closes the gate and then time skips to after the snow ball, steve-centricin which steve gets recruited by the police force, hopper struggles to deal with a telekinetic teenage girl, life is supposed to start getting normal again when in actuality, the upside down is definitely out to get them.basically just a lot of family fluff





	aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> MILEVEN WILL DEFINITELY BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER I JUST NEED TO GET EVERYTHING DONE WITH STEVE AND THE WHOLE FAMILY

……….

The light from Billy’s scratched up Camaro was blinding. Not only that, but it was scorching hot. The group shielded their eyes while trying to ignore the burning sensation clawing at their skin. It lasted for a good minute, and then stopped very suddenly. The group exchanged glances as Steve inspected the lights of the car.

“Do you think that means she’s closed the gate?” Max said cautiously, looking at Mike, who had a firm look on his face.

“Either that or something bad has happened.” Lucas whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

“Nothing bad’s happened, okay? Nothing.” Mike responded with a certain look, though his voice couldn’t have been shakier.

“Alright, everyone in the car.” Steve huffed and ushered everyone in. 

As Steve made his way toward the Buyers household, assuming the kids would scream at him if he took them anywhere else, he couldn’t help but notice the bouncing of Mike’s knee, the tapping of Dustin’s fingers, Lucas’ heavy breathing, and Max just looking downright confused, yet hesitant to ask anything. 

He pulls over quickly, despite the kids protests, and turns around in his seat to look at them all.

“I’m not starting this car again until you all calm down.” The protests begin once again, the loudest being Mike, of course.

“Okay, okay, okay! The lab is an hours drive. There’s no way they’re already back, okay?” He moves to put his hand on Mike’s knee and gives him an expectant look. 

After some hesitation, he replies so quietly, it was almost a whisper. “What if this kills her?” 

“Hopper won’t let that happen.” Dustin says with so much certainty you’d think he’d scientifically calculated all the facts. 

“Yeah, well we can’t exactly trust him right now.” Mike huffs.

“Seriously, Mike? Look I get you missed your girlfriend, I bet these guys did too, but what Hopper did was for the best. He saved her life. And yours, actually.”

“But-”

“No buts. Everything’s going to be fine.” Steve turns back around in his seat, pleased with his answer, though he’s not sure he even believes it.

“Can you at least go a little bit faster?” Lucas sighs.

“You keep complaining and I’ll start driving slower than your grandmas.” 

“Hey! My grandma’s a damn good driver, okay!” Lucas defends. Steve chuckles to himself, and for a moment, loses himself in the goodness that is these kids. They shouldn’t have to deal with some alternate dimension full of alien-like creatures that are trying to attack them 24/7 and they shouldn’t have to deal with thinking their best friend (who basically has superpowers) is dead and then have her randomly show up and save their asses, only to have her go off to her almost certain death only twenty minutes later. He’d been briefed a tiny bit on the story of Eleven, and you’d have to be an idiot to not know that Mike has a thing for her, but there was still so much he didn’t know, and as he’s driving these kids, these kids who he’s grown to love and would do anything to protect, back to a freezing house with a dead interdimensional being in the refrigerator, he can’t help but let millions of questions swirl around in his head.

When they finally reach the house, he does a quick sweep-over, notices that Billy is gone and all but collapses on the worn out Buyers couch. Lucas lies down beside him, and then Dustin in front and somehow they’re all able to squeeze on the tiny sofa, Steve’s arm wrapped around them both, while keeping a close eye on the other two members of the weird family he’s formed. Max has taken the liberty of being the lookout while Mike, as everyone had expected, is pacing the creaky wooden floors. Max hands him an ice pack, and he props up his head with his free arm and holds it against the growing bump. Twenty minutes pass, then thirty, then forty, and Mike, Max and Steve are more worried than ever. As for Dustin and Lucas, they’d both fallen asleep at the twenty minute mark, but no one can blame them.

Mike’s pacing is stressing him out more than the waiting, so Steve calls him over. Both Max and Mike fall into a weirdly-angled hug, but it’s appreciated nonetheless. They have to lean over Dustin and Lucas, but no one really cares.

“I’m scared.” Mike mutters, and Steve’s never seen him more vulnerable. Sure he was absolutely astonished at the emotion in his eyes when Eleven had returned and saved them from dying a very painful death, but knowing she’s in terrible danger and not being able to do anything? Steve really felt for the boy. He whispers in his ear, the same thing he’s been saying all night. The same thing he’s been trying to convince the kids and himself of. 

“Everything’s going to be okay, kid.”

The two pull away and go back to where they were before, although Mike stops pacing, thank god.

Steve’s basically falling asleep, and he would’ve been a while ago, if it weren’t for the constant aching pain in his head. Still, he closes his eyes and tries to think of something else, tries to remember happier times, tries to figure out the answers to some of the questions he’s had since before Eleven walked in the door. However, just as he’s getting somewhere, he hears Max speak cautiously.

“Mike?” Steve opens his eyes just in time to see Mike turn his head towards the girl and raise his eyebrows.

“I don’t know Eleven.” She responds. “But, she seems like she can handle herself. I’m sure she’s kicking ass right about now.”

Steve gets a look at her brief soft smile, before she walks back toward the window.

“Hey, Max?” Mike looks hesitant, like he’s not sure what to say next, but knows he has to say something. Max moves closer to him, as if to encourage him to speak.

“I’m sorry.” He settles on. “For everything.”

The smile on Max’s face is probably bigger than it should be, but it puts a matching one on the other boy’s face. 

“I was upset about El, and angry about Will, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“It’s okay.” Max shrugs. “I can kind of see why it would feel like I was replacing El. As if she could ever be replaced, though.” 

“Yeah.” At this, Mike moves even closer. “Friends?”

Max’s smile doubles in size, and she nods her head excitedly. “Definitely. I knew I’d win you over eventually.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Mike laughs as he pulls her in for a hug. It’s more comforting than he expected it could be and it lasts a pretty long time, but it’s well overdue. They’re broken up by a bright light coming closer to the driveway. They both scramble to the window and peer outside, careful not to be seen.

“It’s Jonathan’s car!” Mike all but yells. The two run towards the door, until Steve tells them to stop.

“Wait to make sure it’s them until you open the door and get us all killed.” Max goes over to the window and waits until the door on the driver’s side opens.

“It’s them.” Is all she says before Mike swings the door open and she’s following close behind him. Steve proceeds to wake the two sleeping kids up, while Will and Joyce barge through the door with Jonathan and Nancy close behind. Dustin and Lucas bolt up to hug their friend and Steve watches as a huge group hug ensues.

Nancy makes her way towards him with her hand covering her mouth as he tries his best to sit up. She reaches up to touch his face and he flinches. “God, Steve. What happened to you?”

“I’m fine.” He says as Joyce approaches. She runs her hand through his hair and frowns. Steve can’t help but feel like curling up in a little ball and crying. It’s been so long since he’s felt a motherly touch, but he pulls himself together as she inspects his face.

“What happened?” Joyce asks firmly, in a way that he knows he won’t be able to avoid the question.

“Actually, that’s something I need to talk to you and Hop about. It’s quite serious.” Joyce frowns yet again, and then nods.

“Let’s get you cleaned up until then.” She leaves to get the first aid kit from the kitchen and Nancy sits beside him as Jonathan walks towards them both.

“Holy shit.” He says as soon as he looks at Steve’s face.

“You should see the other guy.” He replies and he can feel Nancy giggle beside him.

“Of course you would make that joke.” She wipes a tear from her eye and wraps her arm around the man she loves (or loved, she’s still figuring that part out). He leans into her and Jonathan puts a hand on his shoulder, sitting on the arm of the sofa. Steve smiles, not even registering the fact that the three of them are in quite a sticky situation. Joyce comes back with the kit and starts tending to his wounds as he quietly jokes with Nancy, but mostly watches the kids across the room, who for a moment, have forgotten that there’s a big chance that none of this is over yet.

Mike makes his way over to them, and before he can get a word in, Nancy speaks worriedly, “Are you okay?”

“Does it look like I’m okay?” He snaps.

“Mike.” Steve says sternly. The boy’s stoic expression drops and he looks down. Nancy’s eyes flicker between the two.

“Sorry. I’m just…. You know.” Nancy nods and pulls her brother in for a hug, planting a kiss in his curls. She can’t help but feel kind of terrible. How is it that Steve gives her brother one look and he melts, but she can’t even get him to say “Hello.”

After their much needed hug, Steve ruffles Mike’s hair and he makes his way to Will and the gang.

When Joyce finishes, she put the kit away and checks on Will with Jonathan, and it’s just the two of them. It’s different from before though. He still loves her, but things are complicated now.

“I know we need to talk about us.” She starts. “I know I owe you an explanation and we need to figure out how to deal with-”

“How about tonight we just pretend like we don’t have to talk. Can we just be happy that we’re alive, just for tonight, and then get to all the hard stuff tomorrow?” He asks, his eyes hopeful that he won’t have to deal with a whole other aspect of pain.

She nods silently, and lets her head fall on his shoulder, only to raise it a few seconds later when a bright white light flashes onto the Buyers’ driveway. The kids practically jump on top of each other to get to the window, but Joyce makes it there first.

“Go on out.” She says, and yet again, Mike’s the first one out the door.

Just as Hopper’s helping Eleven out of the car, a swarm of teens (and Joyce) come at him. Eleven notices and runs towards them all, specifically Mike. He starts to think she was faking being weak, just so he would carry her. He watches as his girl runs into the arms of this boy, who’s probably been worried sick. He watches as Mike catches her with ease and breathes her in. He sees him speak (though he can only make out a few words), watches El nod, and watches Mike lead her inside. Joyce walks towards him and he leans against his truck.

“You okay?” He nods weakly, already feeling wary that he’s not right by Eleven’s side. Joyce pouts and pulls him in for a hug. The hug is just as much for her as it is for him, but that’s usually the way it is anyways. When it’s over, all too soon, she takes his hand and they walk in together.

When they get inside, El’s in the middle of giving Nancy a hug, and Hopper assumes she’s already hugged everyone else. As soon as her eyes land on Joyce, her face lights up and she all but runs towards her. She’s enclosed in a hug soon enough and Hopper ruffles her hair before going to get a beer from the fridge. Although, to his surprise, the beer is on the floor, along with all of the contents of the fridge, he’s assuming they took out to make room for the friggin’ demodog in there.

When everyone’s sat down, Mike explains his great idea to kidnap Steve and distract the demodogs, to which Dustin adds that demodogs are a scientific discovery and almost starts a fight with Joyce about where to keep it.

As the night goes on, Steve finds the time to pull the two adults to the side to discuss matters such as Billy and Max’s home life. Hopper agrees to keep a close watch on Max and her household, especially Billy, and Joyce offers to have Max stay with them whenever she needs to, to which Steve says he has that covered.

Over the next few hours, Steve is filled in on basically everything that happened with Eleven, being the only one who doesn’t know everything, and Eleven explains how she managed to survive after destroying the demogorgon the first time around. She also explains meeting her manipulative sister and finding out her mama’s braindead. She doesn’t seem to be in as bad of a shape as everyone thought she would be, mentally and physically. She is however, quite tired, as are the the rest of them.

Nancy calls her mom to cover up for her and Mike, Steve’s parents have been out of town for a while, Lucas and Dustin call their own parents, and Max assumes Billy will cover up for getting his ass kicked.

Soon, they’re all dog piled in blankets on the floor. Will gets to be on the couch because his body is still very weak from whatever sickness was just in him, then on the floor beside him is Jonathan, and then Joyce, Hopper, Eleven and Mike. Beside Mike is Nancy, and then Steve, who’s curled up with Dustin, Max and Lucas in his arms.

For a moment, this screwed up family, that’s been through so much, feels safe for the first time in a year. No monsters out to get them (as far as they know), no parents with millions of questions, no one’s gone missing, and yeah, they’ve lost. But, the ones that are still here, aren’t going anywhere. 

At least not for tonight.


End file.
